Doorknob actuated lock



May 19, 1953 o. 5. SMITH 2,639,177

DOORKNOB ACTUATED LOCK Filed April 5, 1951 are! za :4 Z1 -26 z:

J1 Z0 3 z? INVENTOR.

ATTCI RNEYS UZZ'I/er 5. 51225572,

Patented May 19, 1953 UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE I nooRxNo AcrU 'rao Look I, j use, s. smith, Edwardsville, Ill. application a r rs, 1951, Serial No. 219,357

This invention relates, looks used on doors where the conventional latching means provides locking means such as doors for lavatories-and bath rooms of private residences and also in doors of filling stations, hotel rooms and other rooming houses and the like particularly where private rooms are used and in which the locking means is actuated through the door knob, and in particular a door lock having a latch actuated by a conventional door knob from one side ofthe door and having a freely rotatable knob on the opposite side of the door with an inner emergency knob positioned within the freely rotatable knob whereby the lock of the door is actuated continuously from the inside of the door and from the outside, only by removing a cap in the freely rotatable knob whereby the emergency knob is exposed for use.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a door lock particularly adapted for doors of hotel rooms whereby the door can be closed and opened from the inside of the room only without exposing a secret operating knob. I

In the conventional type of door lock where a door is opened and closed from either side, doors particularly of hotel rooms are closed as the occupant leaves and it is difficult for a maid to determine, without opening the door whether or not the room is occupied. With this thought in mind this invention contemplates a door having a latch that is so constructed that the latch will not operate to permit the door to close until it is turned by the door knob, and means for mounting the knob on one side of the door so that the latch is not actuated thereby. v The object of this invention is, therefore, to provide means for freely mounting a door knob on a latch whereby the knob'is rotatable without actuating the latch so that the latch may only be actuated from the inside of the door.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved lock for doors wherein the lock or latch thereof is actuated by a knob on one side of the door and also by an emergency knob in a secret compartment in a freely rotatable knob on the opposite side of the door.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved mounting for knobs of door locks whereby the lock is actuated from one side of the door only, except in an emergency, which is of a simple and economical construction.

With these and other objects and advantages in view the invention embodies a door lock or latch having knobs mounted on the ends of a staff extended through the latch and having a.

4 Claims. (Cl. 292-169) 2. freely rotatable knob covering the knob on the end of the staff on one side of the door. c

Other features and advantages of the invention willappear from the following description taken in connection withthe drawing wherein:

Figure l is a sectional plan taken on line l-l of Figure 2 illustrating the relative positions of the parts in a door in which the improved latch is mounted with the door partly open or ajar.

Figure 2 is a vertical section through the improved door lock taken on line 2- 2 of Figure 1 and showing the end of the latch extended into the latch receiving socket of the door jamb orframe. I

Figure 3 is a detail illustrating a keeper on a door frame or jamb that is positioned to'receive' having a cap l6 removably mounted in the outer end thereof, and an emergency knob or handle I! fixedly attached to the other end of the staff l0 and on which the knob I5 is freely rotatable.

The staff III, which is preferably square, extendsfthrough a rocker l8 which coacts with a flange IS on the inner end of the latch'bolt and one side of the rocker is provided with a sleeve 20 that extends into a slot 2| in anextension 22 in the lock bolt and upon which the flange I9 is positioned, and with the parts arranged in this manner rotation of the staff I 0 actuates the latch boltfor withdrawing the bolt from a socket, as indicated by the numeral 2| in a docrframe or jamb 22. The bolt is resiliently held outwardly by a spring 23, one end of which is held on a projection 24 in the end of the housing I 2 and the other on a projection 25 on the outer surface of the flange l9. v a The socket 2| is positioned toregister with an opening 26 in a base plate 21 which is mounted in arecess 28 in the edge of the door frame and that is secured in positionbyscrews 29 and 30;

The knob M, which is preferably positioned on the inside of the door is secured on the Starr lo a by a set screw 3! that extends into one ofthe spaced notches 32 inone side of the stafi. The knob I4 i provided with a hub 33 that extends into a recess 34 in a flange 35 that is secured to the door by screws 36.

A similar flange 31 having a recess therein is secured on the opposite side of the door by screws 39 and a hub 40 having a collar 4| thereon, and from which the emergency knob I'l extends, is fixedly mounted on the staff with the end of the hub extended into the recess 38.

The cap 16 is formed with an annular flange 42 and a bead or ridge 43, and with the flange 42 frictionally held inthe outer endof the knob IS the bead or ridge 43 nests against the outer edge of the knob providing a substantially hidden joint, and at the same time making it possible to readily remove the cap 16 by inserting a thumb nail or the like between the bead and edge of the knob.

In the latch or lock of this design the conventional beveled surface on the outer end of the latch bolt is omitted and a bolt is provided with a square end, which as illustrated in Figure 1, bears against the end of the face plate 21 where.- by the door, which is indicated by the numeral 44 isheldajar.

The door may be hungwith the conventional type of spring actuated hinges whereby the latch bolt isresiliently held against the faceplate until the bolt isaotuated by, the knob it on the inside ofthe door.

In this design the housing 12 is provided with a base plate45 that is positioned in a recess 46 in the edge of the door and the housing is held positionby screws 41 that extend to the base plate.

i In the design illustrated in Fi ure 3 a keeper for, a door lock is illustrated in which the keeper provided with abase fiangeliBthat is secured to the door framebyv screwsv 49 and 50 and the keeper is provided with an extension 54. that is positioned to receive the key actuated lock bolt 52 with the door aiar or in the position illustrated in Figural.

The keeper illustrated in Figure 3 is particularly adapted for doors of hotel rooms where it is desired to lock. the door in the partly open positionv so that the maid or other cleaner can tell that the room is not occupied.

With the parts arranged inthis manner, as a person leaves arocrnor the like the door swings against the frame and with the knob l5 freely rotatable on the staff;- lu it is impossible to actuate the latch bolt so that the door cannot be closed from the outside. At the same time a person in the room or the like may actuate the latch bolt to close the door withthe knob i4 whereby the door may be closed against a stop 48 with a latch bolt ll extended into the socket 2!.

With the parts arranged in this manner it will also be impossible to open thedoor from the outside without removing the cap 16 and turning the staff and rocker l8through the emergency knob 17.

This improveddoor latch, therefore, provides both a latch and a lock, and the lock may be .actuated without a key whereby the conventional keyhole or keyslot is omitted.

It will be understood thatmodifications may be made in the design and arrangementsof the parts without departing from the'spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is;

1. In a door lock, ahousing adapted to be mounted in a door, a latch slidablyv mounted in said housing and provided with a slot, the outer end of said latch being square, a staff extending transversely through said latch and being square in cross section, a cover plate for said housing, a first knob rigidly mounted on one end of said staff, a second knob removably mounted on the other end of said staff, a cap removably mounted on said second knob, a handle arranged within said second knob, a rocker engageable by said staff and provided with a sleeveextending into the slot in said latch, and resilient means for normally urging said latch out of said housing.

2. In a door look, a housing adapted to be mounted in a door, a latch slidably mounted in said housing and provided with a slot, a staff extending transversely through said latch and being square in cross section, a cover plate for said housing, a first knob rigidly mounted on one end of said staff, a second knob removably mounted on the other end of said staff, a cap removably. mounted on said secondknob, a handle arranged within said second knob, a. rocker engageable by said staff and provided with a sleeve extending into the slot in said latch, and resilient means for normally urging said latch out of said housing, said resilient means comprising a coil spring abutting said latch, and guide lugs extending into the ends of said coil spring and a base plate secured in a recess in the door and providedwith an opening for the slidable projection therethrough of said latch.

3. In a door look, a housing adapted to be mounted in a door, a latch slidably mounted in said housing and provided with a slot, the outer end of latch being square, a staff extending transversely through said latch and being square in cross section, a cover platefor said housing, a first knob rigidly mounted on one end of said staff, a second knob removably mounted on the other end of said staff, a cap removably mounted on said second knob, a handle arranged within said second knob, a rocker engageable by said staff and provided with a sleeve extending intothe slot in said latch, and resilient means for normally urging said latch out of said housme. said resilient means comprising a coil spring abutting said latch, and guide lugs extending into the ends of said coil spring, there being a plurality of spaced notches arranged in said staff, and set screw extending through said first knob and engaging one of said notches and a base plate secured in a recess in the door and provided with an opening for the slidable projection therethrough of-said latch.

4. The apparatus as described in claim 3, wherein said cap is provided with an annular flange snugly seated Within said, second knob, andgan annular rim arranged contiguous to said fiange.

OLIVER S. SMITH.

References Cited in the. file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 484,392 Ball Oct. 1-8, 1892 1,109,068 Higgins Sept. 1, 1914 1,350,356 Brill Aug. 24, 1920 1,724,630 Wilson Aug. 13, 1929 1,840,706 Ellingson Jan. 12, 1932 1,846,364 Schlage Feb. 23, 1932 2,497,329 Smith et al Feb, 14, 19 50 

